Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-08-18
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE. !

1dUClGu, lOllS uCdu dllu lIlOulQCl-
ing, to bangle in the faces of those
who would move on. But Mr..
Lathrop's history, if it had any
relevancy to the real questions at
issue, is again untrue, and the real
facts are all against him. 1t is alb
solutely untrue that the two rail
roads mentioned were aided for
the "ostensible purpose" of devel-
oping the county, but with real
purpose" of aiding Centralia and
Grand Rapids at the expense of
the County. 1t is equally untrue
that those roads were aided or
built in the particular interest of
the localities named, or of either
of them. Let us consult the rec
ord, and see what that shows.
Two votes were taken upon prop
ositions to aid the Green Bay
road, Gas the railroad company
failed to build the road, pursuant
to the frst.) The first election
was in 1874, at which there were
but S votes cast in the county
against granting the aid, and IA of
these were in the town of Lincoln.
Centralia and Grand Rapids voted
solidly for the aid; but SO did the
Towns of Rudolph, Sigel, Seneca
and Saratoga. Dexter and Rem
ington were then a part of Jackson
County, and did not vote. Au-
burndale, Marshheld, and others
of the present towns not already
named, were not then organized.
The second proposition to aid the
Green Bay road was voted upon in
1872. At this election there were
but tz0eIUe votes cast in the county
against granting the aid. The
Town of Lincoln did not vote, but
all the other towns and cities of
the county voted almost solidly
for the aid. The proposition to
grant aid to the Wisconsin Valley
road was voted upon in April,
1872. At this election the prop
osition was carried in the county
by a small majority only. The
Towns of Dexter, Remington and
Rudolph gave decided majorities
for the aid, as did also Centralia.
The Towns of Lincoln, Sigel, Sen
eca, Saratoga and Grand Rapids
gave maJorities against the aid, but
III all Of them except Lincoln,
there were numbers of votes cast
for it, and in Sigel nearly half of
the whole. In the City of Grand
Rapids, I68 votes were cast for the
aid, and los votes against it. The
vote cast at all these elections was
very light. At the first two, upon
the propositions submitted by the
Green Bay road, there was really
no opposition in the county, ex-
cept in the Town of Lincoln.
Whether wisely or not, nearly ev-
erybody in the county at the time
was in favor of securing a railroad,
and there was no hope of getting
one except by means of aid voted
to it. This feeling was general
throughout northern Wisconsin,
and every county that could get
railroad by voting aid to it, did so.
When the Wisconsin Valley prop
osition was submitted, very many
felt that the county ought not to
bind itself further in aid of rail
roads. In this city, as the vote
shows, nearly half the votes were
against it, while the Town of Grand
Rapids voted nearly two to one
against it. On the other hand, the
vote in Remington, Dexter and
Rudolph shows those towns decid-
eddy in favor of the aid, while in
the other towns, except Lincoln,
the vote was divided, with a ma
jority against it. In the light of
this record, what becomes Of the
pretense that the aid to these rail
roads was voted with real pur-
pose" to aid Centralia and Grand
Rapids, at the expense of the
county? The whole county, ex-
cept the Town of Lincoln, agreed
with almost complete unanimity
to grant the aid to the Green Bay
road. Were all the people in the
county, except those of a single
town, then engaged in scheme"
to aid Grand Rapids and Centralia
at the expense of the county?
And in voting upon the Wisconsin
Valley proposition, were the peo-
pie of the Towns of Rudolph,
Dexter, Remington, and many of
those in all the other towns of the
county, except Lincoln, who voted
to aid that road, laboring to rob
the county, including themselves,
for the real object" of benehtting
these places? TO state the prop
osition, in the light of the facts, is
to show it to be utterly without
foundation And what has been
the Hrea1" effect of Securir1U those